Mini flannel quilt

Purple and blue skirt for Sara the Librarian

We can match! I used tiered lace, plain cotton for the waistband, and a different pattern b/c Sara likes her skirts long.

Salmon and Lime Skirt

Used

• Simplicity Pattern 2609
• Adapted - cut shorter, added strips to each skirt section, added a colored strip at the hem, simple elastic waist, patch pocket
• Fabric
• Purchased from JoAnn a year or two ago. Cotton quilting fabric.
• Kona cotton - salmon/coral
• Notions
• Coats thread - coral or salmon color
• Elastic
• Coats thread - white for basting

Purple and Blue flowered skirt

Used

• Simplicity pattern 2609
• Adapted - cut shorter, simple elastic waistband, patch pocket
• Fabric
• Purchased at JoAnn within the last couple years. Probably a quilting cotton.
• Notions
• Gutermann thread no. 20 and 800
• Lace - cotton cream colored, maybe a Cluny one

Poppy skirts

Used

• Simplicity pattern 2609
• My adaptation I use for skirts - cut shorter and a simple elastic waistband, addition of a patch pocket.
• Fabric
• Poppy fabric I've been saving for a long time - Patty Reed circa 2006, probably purchased at JoAnn.
• Notions
• Gutermann thread color no. 420

Used

• Simplicity pattern 2609
• I used the short tiered pattern (I think it's view B) but I copied it on tracing paper so I could split the tiers into the two different fabrics. Then I realized that I was running out of green, so I had to piece it together! I used the top half of the second tier (the traced piece) to cut 5 additional pieces on the fold for a third tier.
• Fabric
• Poppy fabric I've been saving for a long time - Patty Reed circa 2006, probably purchased at JoAnn.
• Kona Basil Green
• Notions
• Gutermann thread color no. 420, 788, and 211
• Coats white thread (for basting)
• Simplicity cotton lace trim 3874161 and a small piece of thicker cotton lace.

Basic tiers - then I zigzag stitched across the gathered hems, hemmed, and added lace and elastic.

Little bag for a pocket to carry keys

Lemon skirt

Used

• Fabric
• Smocked Dress (rayon) from Joann
• Keepsake Calico tiny butterfly from Joann
• Notions
• Gutermann thread color no. 211

I double-folded the smocked top of the dress to make a waistband and added elastic, sewed up the side and hemmed it. I used the calico to make a little pocket, which will hang from my kilt pin I think.

Underwater Applique Quilt part 5

If I ever have lots of money, I shall rent the small apartment across from mine and use it as a guest house AND have a big table in there to lay quilts out on! Meanwhile, it's kind of hard when you get to the bigger stages, you just sort of guess at how it's going to look. I've put together all the pieces and trimmed the edges. I thought about running embroidery down the white sections, but decided against it. I think I am going to border it with the rest of the green and orange batiks. I have a sheet for the backing. It's actually quite heavy, since it's 3 or 4 layers of muslin in some places! But it feels soft and cool and cottony, especially after I put on the cotton sheet for the back!

Tiered skirt for Sara the Librarian

Used

• McCall's pattern 7604 (view C)
• Removed the waistband, expanded the first tier with tissue paper, folded over the top for a drawstring/elastic
• Fabric
• First tier - premium cotton, watercolor floral on cream, JoAnn 15833171 (2 yards)
• Second tier - premium cotton, pink and pearl packed flowers, JoAnn 15833254 (1.5 yards)
• Third tier - premium cotton, watercolor floral on navy, JoAnn 15833387 (2.25 yards)
• Notions
• 2.5" white lace swirl, JoAnn 3883642 (6 yards)
• Gutermann thread color no. 323

After I made the three tiers and hemmed and added lace to the bottom (yes, I had not yet gathered or stitched the tiers together) I realized that I should have gone with my initial estimate of 15+ yards of lace, since I wanted to add extra on each tier. Then I decided that it really would have been over-kill on the lace anyways. My mom gathered one tier and then I finally finished the last one. I double-stitched the gathers. I had second thoughts afterwards - was it too pink? too bright? but I figured we could add a lacy overskirt or just pass it on and try something else.

Baking for work part 2

Still baking. A lot was left that I didn't have time to bake, plus the mess.

Leftover chunks of dipping chocolate

 Leftover bits of white chocolate and pretzel bits

Chopped pecans and leftover bits of... everything. Chocolate, marshmallows, bits of peanuts, etc.

Baking for work

I've had a ton of baking stuff collected that I kept meaning to do something with, probably for the January bake sale. Well, that didn't happen. Then it was summer, and my a/c went out and anyways I finally got to the Friday of the summer book and bake sale. Then, of course, I decided to make stuff.

I melted the rest of the white chocolate (dipping) that I had gotten and dipped pretzel sticks in it then shook toffee bits over them. Then I discovered that the chocolate was getting thicker. The internet was not helpful in suggestions and I tried butter, which turned it into a kind of frosting. So I frosted the rest of the sticks and added mini chocolate chips. Finally, I just dumped the rest with the pretzels in a big lump intended to chop it up for cookies later. I put all of them in front of my a/c to cool, since it's the only cool place in the house (note - even turned down to 60, which is as cold as it goes, it's still 75 in the kitchen...)

Then I used the basic Nestle chocolate chip cookie recipe. I threw in the rest of the mini chocolate chips and toffee bits (probably some white chocolate in there as well.)

That was all I had time for, which left a huge mess in my kitchen a ton of stuff still to bake.

Quilted Panel

My mom finished sewing the lace and binding by hand. Not sure what I'm going to do with it, but it looks great!

Updated projects

I took apart two of the first skirts I made - the hems were uneven and the pockets weird. They'll make good quilt scraps. 

This was the blue batik - I removed and raised the pocket.

I took the straps off and crossed them so they'd quit falling down. My mom helped pin them.

Underwater Applique Quilt part 4

Pieces spread out on my bed for placement.

The first panel. I fit lots of pieces of muslin to get it even.

The back is plain muslin

I left the edges raw, because I think I'm going to add a border of the green/gold batik. Maybe.